Learn to Build a Home from Earth in 2 Weeks

From the foundation to the roof, get certified in superadobe construction

$950 14-Day Earthbag Dome Certification Program

$195 for Nepali and Indian nationals

since 2015, conscious impact has trained more than 200 volunteers and local nepalis in earthbag construction

Our previous earthbag construction projects include two single-family homes and a Coffee Cooperative office and storage facility for local farmers…

Our Dome Workshop in 2019 created a space for us to host our team members more permanently. Since we began working in Takure after the 2015 earthquake destroyed all local homes, our team would stay in camping tents sometimes for as long as 6-12 months, and for many years! We have always wanted to house people in beautiful, natural, sustainably built structures which could showcase these extraordinary structures to anyone. Our Dome Home currently does that and we hope to one day use this technology in partnership with local communities. Our courses teach both locals and international participants, visitors and students the principles and beauty of sustainable construction.

Photos from our previous workshops and trainings…

let’s build a dome in 2023!

Our 14-Day Dome Workshop is designed to give you the hands-on experience you need to leave with practical skills in the design and construction of a simple earthbag home.

You will learn the process from start to finish!

14-Day Itinerary

Day 0, December 2nd (or earlier): Arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal. Spend one night (or more) in Kathmandu. Explore local cultural and historical sites.

Day 1, December 3rd: Meet the Conscious Impact team and other program participants in Kathmandu at 8am for private transport to our village site (4-6 hours); Orientation, camp tour and dinner provided upon arrival.

Day 2, December 4th: In the morning, visit the local community of Takure to see the variety of Conscious Impact projects completed since 2015 including earthbag homes. In the afternoon, the work begins! Get introduced to the Earthbag Dome construction site and get your hands dirty.

Day 3, December 5th: Morning — Theory and science of earth construction and earthbag/superadobe technique, plus hands on experimentation with soil; Afternoon — Understanding and designing foundations plus laying the first bags!

Days 4-7, December 6th-8th: On site, hands on training including soil sieving, bag filling, bag sewing, barbed wire, rebar and tamping/leveling work.

Day 8, December 9th: Saturday (Day Off): Rest day. Alternative activities offered, including hiking, yoga and/or baking pizza in our cob oven.

Day 9-12, December 10th-14th: Work hard to complete the walls of the earthbag dome! Lay the last bags, test plastering mixtures, tamp/level walls, etc. Our goal is to finish the walls completely this day (or get as close as possible). Final discussions, any last questions?

Day 13, December 15th: Final morning of work, and presentation of certificates in the afternoon. Everyone officially graduates from Dome School!

Day 14, December 16th: Final breakfast and departure to Kathmandu around 9am arriving in the city by 2pm. Participants can fly out anytime after 6pm this day or the following day from Kathmandu airport.

NOTE: Our team will dig the foundation of the dome before the 14-day program, and finish the plastering after the 14-day program (as 14 days is not long enough to complete all of the details). If you would like to work on the foundation from the start, or support the plastering after the project, you are welcome to extend your stay here at Conscious Impact. Long-term volunteers are asked to come for at least 1 month. Please fill out the interest form, and we will reach out to you. Thanks!

mariana jimenez

As a Civil Engineer and Director of Natural Building Programs for Conscious Impact, Mariana has more than a decade of studying and practicing construction around the world. For the past 8 years, Mariana has been guiding hundreds of international volunteers and local Nepali masons in natural building techniques. Her expertise includes Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks (CSEBs), cob, wattle and daub and earthbag construction. Certified in Earthbag Dome Construction from Rancho Uha (Cal-Earth Institute’s partner in Mexico), Mariana will guide you as you learn to build a home with earth.

You can see more of Mariana’s work on Instagram at @superadobe.delanait.

Mariana will not be alone, as more than 10 other experienced Conscious Impact team members will be on site to support in the construction and to guide you through the process. We look forward to meeting you in December!